It takes a village to enable participation and integration: Examining the meaning of social relationships from different perspectives

Abstract

This chapter concerns the importance of social relationships for the integration, participation, and identity formation of children with - and without - migrant background. Carefully differentiating between symmetric and asymmetric relationships, the chapter examines the impact of the social contexts in enabling or inhibiting the development of a hybrid identity and integration, but also how children experience, construct and shape their social environments. Analyses of interviews with children and professionals highlight the importance of identity construction and point to the consequences of such constructions for children’s participation and integration. The interviews reveal commonalities and differences between dimensions of interest (e.g. developmental outcomes), social contexts (e.g., in providing opportunities and barriers), and perspectives (e.g. children vs. professionals). For example, while children’s understanding of belonging and identity is often linked to everyday practices, teachers are focusing more on children’s achievement and emphasising its importance for participation and integration beyond school life.